Dr Javier Arranz, Spokesperson for the Regional Committee on Infectious Diseases | Pere Bota

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The Department of Health has launched a massive screening operation to stem new outbreaks of coronavirus.

"We are trying to expand the study as much as we can because we have the capacity to do that," said Dr Javier Arranz, Spokesperson for the Regional Committee on Infectious Diseases.

The Balearic Islands confirmed 84 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, making a total of 520 active cases.

“With these figures we should be in a worse position than during confinement, but 90% of the people who are infected are being treated at home and do not need to be hospitalised," he said.

Health Minister, Patricia Gómez says treating people quickly is making a difference.

"Early detection stops the symptoms from progressing,” she said. “There are more cases but most of the people infected have either mild or no symptoms. Our priority is to expand detection via PCR tests and more are being done than when there was a higher incidence of serious cases."

Impact

Many of the outbreaks and positive cases are being localised by the effect they have on their environment.

For example, when a case was confirmed at the Bonanova Nursing Home on Tuesday, all entrances and exits to the site were closed.

The victim was asymptomatic and has been taken to Sant Joan de Déu hospital and all 330 elderly residents and staff at the Centre are being screened for the virus.

A similar situation has occurred at a Seniors Centre in Inca where one positive case was confirmed.

The Palmanova Public Nursery School was closed temporarily on Wednesday, after a child was confirmed positive for Covid-19.

Calvia City Council said the planned protocol was activated when the case was detected, the facilities were shut down immediately and are being disinfected.

A summer school at the Lloret Municipal Sports Centre in Sa Comuna was also closed after a staff member tested positive and the families of all of the children have been contacted to arrange PCR tests.

Lloret Mayor, Antoni Bennasar, said the entire Sports Centre will not be closed.

"We have all the security measures in place, the enclosure is disinfected every day and someone even cleans the toilets after each use.” he said. “We have suspended all children’s cultural activities, which is where contagion is most likely."

Dr Javier Arranz says these Centres are already trying to work in watertight groups so that if a contagion occurs, there's less of an impact.

Population screening has been introduced in the Catalonian City of Terrassa, but Dr Arranz says there are no plans to do that in the Balearics.

We have not considered population screening in the Balearic Islands because we believe the steps taken will not lead us to that point," he said.

He also estimates that another 15 outbreaks have been detected in the last week and said that tracking teams are now monitoring 2,200 people.

"We are in a very curious phase because we are doing more basic detection to stop the virus from getting out of control, but curiously it has resulted in an increase in the number of cases,” he said.